Jonah, Torin and I made our way down the Lodge path silently. It was a typical quiet Stone family walk as each of us was still waking up for the day. There were slight murmurs of conversations that could be heard in front and behind us as the Tavern valley woke up and went about their various tasks. Bastards would be making their way to the southern portion of the valley, the hub of Guild activity. While Laborers, like Mala, would be on their way to the northern section of the valley, where the most sun peeked through the mountains. The path would lead them to the fields that sustained the Tavern’s people.

As we neared the southern clearing, the forest was fully awake and bustling with activity. Upon passing the treeline, I noticed that most of the Bastards that were currently in Tavern were already here, with them either filing their way into the Lodge or mingling outside of the cave entrance columns. One man in particular caught my eye as he hustled away from the Chief’s Longhouse towards the Bastard’s Lodge. It would seem that Remy was also running a bit behind. As he passed us he raised a hand in greeting then proceeded to cut in front of the Bastards already filing their way through the doors. .

The three of us followed the group filing into the Bastards Lodge. Upon seeing us, a couple of Bastards throughout the clearing called out in greeting and the three of us raised a hand in reciprocation, just as Remy had to us.

We entered into the Lodge together to find it about half full. Each sect sitting at their own table, all of which were pushed against the opposing walls and faced towards the long fire pit that went through the lodge’s center and led up to the raised dais. The advisors were waiting in their plain chairs, talking amongst themselves while Father went from table to table, talking with each sect as people came in.

The three of us walked down the center, making our way to the empty table for my sect. Ours was two tables away from the dais. As we made our way towards the table, Torin silently split from the group and walked up to the dais, to join the other Advisors. Jonah and I got settled at our table, both of us straddling opposing benches, facing towards the center of the Lodge. I scanned the Lodge, looking around to see if Roy was there yet. Thankfully the sun hadn’t peaked through the windows yet, so there was still a few minutes before the meeting would start.

At this point, Father had been able to go to each occupied table and he finally made his way to our table for a moment before going to the dais. He smiled warmly at us as he approached, but his happiness at seeing us didn’t hide the dark bags under his eyes.

He still isn’t getting enough sleep.

Jonah and I stood as Father came to stand in front of us. He gave me a quick embrace then turned to embrace Jonah. As Chief Eurus pulled away from his son, he focused his attention back on me. Father rested a heavy hand on my shoulder, ensuring I was taking in his even heavier words.

“Remember Little One, you set the tone,” he said. He kissed my forehead and then turned to make his way to the dais, nodding to Jonah as he passed. Father greeted Torin and Remy, the two of his advisors to have arrived after him.

The sun finally started to peak over the mountaintops and poured into the valley. As the sun came through the side windows, people started to find their place, as the meeting was about to begin. Roy cut through the shuffling Bastards and came to sit behind me at our table as everyone was getting settled at theirs.

“Cutting it a little close, aren’t we?” I asked dryly.

“What can I say, I like to live on the edge,” Roy said, flashing his wolfish grin.

“More like sleep off the ale,” Jonah said with a grin. The three of us gave a short laugh as the crowd finished settling in.

The sun peeked through the windows and lit the Lodge floor, causing a hush to envelop the Lodge. All of our attention turned to the dais, where Chief Eurus Stone and his advisors, two on each side of him, sat in plain chairs on the raised dais. On the edge of the dais step were the task baskets we filled the night before.

Remy stood and waited a moment for everyone to focus on him. “As we enter the second moon phase of the Spring cycle, it is a busy time here at the Tavern.” The old man spoke with a loud but hollowed voice. “Fields are getting prepared for seeding. Travelers are starting to crowd the Country Road, off to make their living. Brigands are coming down from the mountains and causing unrest in the farmlands. And another settlement scorched.” He pauses as the room started whispering about what they have guessed at for the last day. “But we stay strong, as is our way of life, handed down to us by our ancestors, guiding us through these troubled times. The Guild Protects. And the Guild Endures.” Remy finished.

“The Guild Protects and the Guild Endures,” the room of Bastards echoed back to the old man. With a nod of acknowledgement, Remy sat back down.

“We will now hear the Bastard’s Report,” Chief Eurus announced formally.

Starting at the opposite side of the Lodge, each Lead Bastard would have the opportunity to report completed tasks, concerns for Guild or country, and share their opinion on topics with their Guild brothers and sisters. The Tavern supported eight sects of Bastards when at full capacity, but with two sects out on task, only six Lead Bastards would share our today before Father shared the most pertinent information after he has heard about the runnings of the Tavern.

Seli, a wiry man with a scraggly blonde beard and equally straggly hair stood from his sect’s table across from us. Sitting behind him were three burly men of varying age and heights. Though not related, they all shared the same grumpy disposition. Seli waited for a moment, just as Remy did, before sharing his sect’s task.

“We were on task in Outer Tavern. As Remy said, there’s more wanderers coming through on the Country Road, bringing news from the different corners of the Country. Word from the East has it that the Moorlands increased their taxes again, causing some to leave the Mill’s territory for lower taxes,” Seli announced to the group. At the mention of the Moorlands, eyes slipped from Seli across the fire pit and focused in on me, looking for my reaction, as they always do when connections to my former life are mentioned. I tried my best to suppress the revulsion I felt at the thought of how Lanzo continues to ruin our Father’s lands.

“In other Crown related news,” Seli continued, reclaiming the Lodge’s attention. “The King is entering marriage talks with a foreign dignitary for Princess Froyola, his youngest daughter.” This didn’t incite much of a response from the men in the room, what the Crown did with their women was seen as a Crown problem. I looked to my Guild Sisters, Tamara and Caltina, and saw the same look I felt, disgust.

The Guild’s acceptance of women is something that has continued to separate the Guild and the Crown, though there are older Guild members who align with the Crown’s outlook towards women, but with the Guild’s acceptance of their female counterparts, those voices lost their credence. As the Guild accepted women serving as Bastards, Laborers and Chiefs, the Crown continued to only use its ladies as ambassadors and vessels of pleasure. Princess Froyola was most likely acting as a bargaining tool, just as I once had been.

As Seli returned to his table, Caltina rose from hers, focusing her thoughts on her task instead of the news of another girl being sold off. Unlike Tamara and me, who braided our hair to keep it out of our face, Caltina opted for short hair but otherwise wore the same designed leathers that other Bastard women do. She didn’t wait for the room to focus in on her; she wasn’t one to tolerate wasting time.

“My sect has been out on task for the last moon cycle. We took Moira, one of the older Flyers with us to take aide to some of the northern settlements in our territory. Moira showed much in the way of interest in being a Bastard as well as promise in her skills developed as a Flyer. With the Tavern’s support, my sect would like to take on Moira’s training as a Bastard.”

“She’s not a Bastard yet,” Torin clarified from the dais.

“No she isn’t,”Caltina admitted. “but she’s interested in learning about it. Moira did well and I am interested in seeing what the girl can do. She could stay on as a Flyer. But we are willing to work with her to learn about something she wants to do.”

“Flyers serve as a pivotal role in the daily goings of the Tavern. If they start training for other tasks before they have completed their own, who knows the impact that could have on the runnings of the sect,” Zefris said from the table to the right of Caltina’s. Zefris is a burly older man and the oldest serving Lead Bastard at the Tavern. Despite his age, he was one of the strongest and toughest Bastards alive in the entire Guild. But even so, Zefris and his brother have never been ones to truly accept women Bastards, he being old enough when the Guild and Crown held similar opinions on the roles of women.

Unconsciously, I rose from my seat. I nodded to Caltina, adding another voice to her point. “If our Flyers are interested in learning about the roles within the Guild, who are we to stop their inquiry?” I asked the Lodge, with couple of Bastards nodding at the idea. I pivoted as I spoke, locking eyes momentarily with Zefris before continuing my statement. “They will best serve the Tavern as Flyers if they are able to learn about their interests,” I said, turning to my shield sister. “If the Tavern moves towards this, my sect would be willing to take on one of the older Flyers as well” I said to her. She nodded her thanks as I returned to my seat.

Murmurs of people mulling over the new idea spread from table to table in the Lodge, with some letting out a small hoots of agreement. Chief Eurus stood, ending conversation throughout the Lodge. “Thank you for this idea, Caltina. You bring up something that may help us better serve our youth. I will deliberate with my Advisors and return with a response to this idea at the next Meeting of the Bastards”. Caltina nodded her acceptance of her Chief’s word and returned to her seat at her sect’s table.

Zefris rose up next, with Tamara also standing from her table and standing at Zefris’s side. “Our two sects have been helping the Laborers in the fields, preparing for the seeding that will be happening this moon cycle,” Tamara said speaking for them both. “We will be staying on to help with the seeding this cycle,”

“Do the Laborers need more support from this body?” Remy asked.

“Between our two sects, the Flyers we’re allowed to have, and the Laborers it will be done in time of the first rain,” Zefris said, straight to the point. When no further questions were asked and Zefris nor Tamara had anything further to add, he sat back down at his table.

The next table that would have gone next in our bastardly lineup was currently out on task, leaving an empty table across from Tamara’s. The next sect to share our was Pizarro’s sect, who were seated to the left of us. Behind him were brothers Xi and Wong, they had entered around the same time as Roy, most likely also sleeping off the night before.

“Flyer training is coming along well” Pizarro stated, staying quiet on Caltina’s idea and strictly reporting on his work with the Flyers. “Some of the older ones will be ready to go out on task like Tarik and Moira did, next cycle,” he finished. He looked about the room to look for additional comments, when there were none, he sat down. Finally, it was my turn. I stood as Lead Bastard and mentally prepared myself for the task of telling the Lodge what happened.

“My sect was tasked with dealing with Loren Russo, a swindler who has been pestering farms to the south. He was easily dealt with. It was our return to Tavern that delayed us as we saw dark smoke rising from the west of us. Upon inspection we were able to determine that Frigga’s and her settlement have been Scorched,” I finished my report. Noises of concern were heard throughout the Lodge. Another settlement gone. I looked at my fellow Bastards and saw looks of defeat and failure.

“Survivors?” Seli asked, cutting through the noise. There never has been, but whispers must have started to stir about the girls hat returned with us.

“Freyda was able to hide away two sisters, Lorelle and Ella, before Frigga’s was attacked. They are the only ones.” I said.

The volume quickly increased throughout the Lodge, with each table discussing the first survivors of a Scorched settlement. Father stood from his chair on the dais, silencing the talking Bastards.

With all eyes on him, Chief Eurus addressed his Bastards. “For ten season cycles, our country has been tormented by an evil. It attacks settlements and cities alike. But we are not the only ones who feel that they have failed their duty,” he said, pulling out the Prince’s letter. Hushed whispers and sounds of disbelieve came from almost every Bastard table.

“I recently received correspondence from the King’s eldest son and heir, Prince Olarik, addressing this continued evil. It reads,

I am High Prince Olarik Godson the eldest son of King Charles Godson. I write to you understanding the gravity of each pen stroke. Our respective sides haven’t spoken in generations. But I write to you today to save the country we both serve from a terrible evil.

I am sure you are aware of the long cycle of ravaged settlements and markets throughout our beloved country. Unfortunately, we have been unable to rid our people of this peril working separately. As I ponder my future and how I can help make a true difference as the future king, I cannot help but believe that working collectively is the answer.

He stopped just before the letter mentioned me. He folded the letter and placed it back in his pocket, looking to his audience to gauge their response. There were several gruff sounds of disagreement heard around the room.

“After consulting the other Chiefs, we have agreed to meet with the Prince. Together we hope to find a way to confront this evil. He will be here the day after tomorrow, if our estimates are correct,” he finished.

“Here? Why?” Zefris asked the dais.

“What about Bronie?” Caltina asked from her table.

“What about her?” Chief Eurus countered, ignoring Zefris’s question.

“If the Prince is coming here, she could be found out. She won’t be safe,” Caltina said, pointing out what she saw as the obvious.

Finally, someone else was feeling and voicing my own concerns.

“Her family and sect will protect her while they are here” Torin countered, almost sounding insulted that my safety was believed to be an issue.

“The Tavern as a whole has been charged with her protection. Letting the enemy sniff about with the potential of discovering her isn’t protecting her.” Tamara said from her table, throwing in her thoughts on the matter with a hint of venom in her words.

Charged with my protection?

“Send her and her sect of Bastards to The Farm, or even The Port, they’re close enough. Bronie can continue her good work for The Guild and be safe from being found out.” Caltina countered. She didn’t include The Mill because that was the Guild territory that protected the Moorsland. If I went to the Mill, there had always been the danger of me being spotted by someone who recognized me as Lady Bronwyn Moor. Though she is right that leaving would be the safer option, I didn’t like the idea of being sent away from my family and home.

“She is needed here.” Father said simply.

“Why?” Tamara challenged. “Bastards are needed throughout the Guild.”

Instead of answering the question, The Chief looked to me to answer the question for him. Almost as a way to make me understand his motives just as much as convincing others. I stood again and stepped forward, separating myself from my sect to address the Lodge again.

“I met the Princes when I was a child, as Bronwyn Moor,” I started, once again looking from Bastard to Bastard, including them in my memory. “My birth father took me to a tourney to celebrate some Lord, I don’t remember who. He thought it was important for me to meet all the lords and ladies of the Crown. He said knowing them is half the struggle of being part of the Crown. Plus he knew how much I loved watching knights fights,” I smiled at the memory of my Lord Father’s love before moving on.

“The middle Prince,” I continued, “the one with the limp, his name is Gaelin. He and I became friends over the course of the tourney. He couldn’t keep up with the other boys, who would rather follow the King’s heir than his gimp of a son. But unlike them, I was willing to walk a little slower. We would watch the knights fight and then he would watch as I practiced my sword moves with a stick,” I jabbed at the air, imitating my young self. The Lodge let out a short laugh at the thought.

“One day near the end of the tourney,” I continued, “three little Lordling shits found us while I was practicing. They were angry that a girl had the audacity to imitate a knight. So to them, it was their lordly duty to teach me a lesson,” I said angrily. “Gaelin couldn’t do anything to stop them; he was sitting and always had such a hard time getting up because of his leg. So it was me against them.” I looked down for a moment before continuing.

“ I wish I could say I smashed them all into the dirt. But I didn’t,” I paused for a moment, looking to Tamara, the one who taught me how to swing a lethal blade with finesse, her eyes filled with sadness and worry. I don't often talk about the time before I came to the Tavern, to do so in such a public setting was very out of turn.

“They thought I was a stable girl, not a proper lady, so they beat me down, not even sparing my face,” I said, motioning towards myself. “ They didn’t stop hitting me until Olarik showed up. He pulled out his sword, ready to cut down those shits and they ran like the cowards they were. The future king had come to my rescue,” I said with a small smile. “But he made the same presumption that the little lords did. In his mind, I was simply a stable girl being attacked and needed his help. It wasn’t until he got closer, looked past the cuts and bruises that he saw me.”

“Olarik is coming to The Tavern,” I continued, my audience still captivated by my words. “He was a kind boy, and I don’t know what kind of man he became. But the boy I knew, the Prince that saved me that day, he didn’t care if I was a stable girl or highborn. He protected me, he was kind to me, and he didn’t care about my status. He simply saw that I was a girl in need and acted. And if I have learned anything during my time here it is that those traits are an essential part of the Guild and its people,” I said before turning to my Shield Sisters, hoping to ease their worry. “The boy I knew would be honest in his plea for peace. The boy I knew would keep my secret,”

I looked back to the rest of the Lodge and continued. “My place is here. Not just because this place is my home and it’s people, my family. But because someone is going to have to explain all of this to him,” I said, motioning all around us. “Who better to explain the stark differences between the Crown and the Guild than someone who has lived in both realms? Someone who understands and lived through the Crown’s truest weaknesses and knows The Guild to be the pillar of strength needed to fix it.”Cheers of agreement filled the Lodge. I looked to Father and he nodded to me approvingly.

I could stop here and sit. But there was more I wanted, more I needed to say. I turned back to Tamara and Caltina. “But your concerns are warranted. The possibility of working with the Crown brings to light several questions. But the only way we get the answers to those questions is if we welcome the Crown into our home. We ask the difficult questions, and listen to the difficult answers. And perhaps if we can put the terrible past behind us, we can save those we are supposed to protect.”

Some of the older Bastards looked from side to side, gauging the Lodge’s response to my words, but I didn’t stop, their old fashioned ideals weren’t my concern here. “I’ve seen what they can do with my own eyes. We can’t defeat this evil on our own. If we could, we would have already done it. This could be the answer. We owe it to those we protect to try.” There were some uncomfortable grumbles of agreement, but I didn’t care. They needed to understand what was at stake. I sat down, done with my explanation and resisted the urge to looked to Father, looking to see if he approved of my addition.

The door suddenly opened, drawing everyone’s eyes away from me. Another older blonde Flyer, Hewet, walked into the room, his cheeks reddened as he took in the amount of focus on him. I took the momentary distraction to look at Father, to gauge his response to what I said. He was looking at me with a peculiar glance.

Perhaps that wasn’t exactly what he was expecting.

“Chief, a message. I was told it couldn’t wait.” Hewet announced.

Father looked away from me and waved the boy forward with a welcoming smile. “Come up, my boy”

The Flyer climbed the dais and whispered into Father’s ear. His face was emotionless as he took in the message. When Hewet finished Father nodded his understanding.

“Thank you,” Father said to Hewet. The Flyer turned on his heel and walked quickly down the center of the Lodge and back out the way he came.

Father rose from his dais chair and addressed the the Lodge. “It would seem the Prince has made better time than we anticipated. He and his escort have been spotted by our scouts. He will be here by midday.” He paused, allowing the Bastards to process what they have heard. “Your tasks have been set. Flyers will be dispatched if there are changes to accommodate his change in arrival.” Father rose from his chair and abruptly left out the side door.

“Thank you Bastards,” Torin added. “that will be all today. Leads, make sure tasks are distributed accordingly.” He rose from his chair and followed Father, making eye contact with me briefly before exiting the same side door.

Follow, his eyes said. I gave a single nod.

As the door closed behind Torin, the Bastard’s Lodge filled with the sounds of shock as the Tavern’s Bastards were left to process everything they had just heard.